Eggstraordinary cost of Easter, as Which? finds some popular chocolate eggs have jumped in price by 50% or more

Some popular Easter eggs from brands including Maltesers, Lindt and Cadbury cost at least 50% more than a year ago, while others have shrunk in size, new Which? research has found.

The Which? supermarket food and drink inflation tracker has revealed that overall the price of chocolate has risen by 12.6% in a year - far more than the overall price of supermarket food and drink, which is up 5.6%. This comes after a huge rise in global cocoa prices due to dry weather in West Africa, with prices roughly doubling in a year. 

The consumer champion found that, in the worst example of Easter egg inflation, a Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg 286g went from an average £8 to an average £13 at Waitrose in the one month to the end of February 2024, compared to the same time a year earlier (an increase of 62.5%). 

At Asda, a Lindt 5 Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate 50g increased from £2 on average to £3.11 on average (up 55.6%).

At Tesco, a Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg 250g rose in price from £10 on average in the one month to the end of Feb 2023 to £15 on average in the same period in 2024 (an increase of 50%). 

Which? also found that at Ocado, a Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Pouch 1kg cost £8.86 on average in the one month to the end of February 2023, but in the same period in 2024 this product cost an average of £12.95 (an increase of 46.2%).

At Sainsbury’s, a Kinder Easter with Surprise 36g rose in price from £1.50 on average to £2 (an increase of 33.3%).

For all of its Easter egg pricing analysis Which? included regular discounts but not loyalty prices or multibuys.

As well as price increases across the board, Which? also found some examples of Easter products that had shrunk in size since last year while the price stayed the same or increased, otherwise known as 'shrinkflation'.

For example, a Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg was 252g in 2023 but was 201g in 2024 at Morrisons and Tesco. 

Similarly, a Terry's chocolate orange Easter egg and mini eggs changed from 230g in 2023 to 200g in 2024 at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. 

A Smarties chocolate orange egg changed from 226g to 188g at Asda and Tesco.

Another example was the Twix milk chocolate Easter egg, which changed from 246g to 200g at Tesco.

While shoppers may think that shrinking products is a sneaky tactic on the part of manufacturers, there are no rules against it as long as the packaging is labelled with the correct size, weight and ingredients. However Which? believes businesses should be upfront when making these changes, so their customers can make informed choices. 

Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:

“Easter eggs are a non-negotiable highlight of Spring for many of us, but Which? has found that paying for your chocolate haul will be more of a stretch this year. Some eggs are over 50% pricier than in 2023 - while others have shrunk in size but not price.

“To ensure you get the best value for money on your Easter chocolate, shop around and compare the price per gram across different pack sizes, retailers and brands.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

All prices were averages in the one month to the end of February 2023, compared to the same period this year and include regular discounts but not multibuys or loyalty prices. 

Right of replies

Which? approached all the supermarkets mentioned to ask if they wanted to comment on the pricing of the specific Easter egg examples above. The manufacturers of Mars, Smarties, Terrys and Twix were also approached. Only Mars, Nestle and Waitrose responded with a comment. 

A spokesperson from Waitrose said: 

“We work incredibly hard to keep prices down and also have a wide range of special offers to help customers make even greater savings. Thanks to our ongoing focus on price, the eggs that feature in this study are now considerably cheaper than the prices quoted. The Maltesers Egg, for example, is available for £8.50 rather than £13.”

A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley UK, which makes Mars, Maltesers and Twix, said: 

“Our focus is always on ensuring that we offer our great tasting, high quality chocolate at the best possible value. We have been actively trying to find ways to absorb the rising costs of raw materials and operations, as we know the increase in the cost of living has impacted both consumers and businesses across the UK. Unfortunately, the growing pressures mean that more needs to be done. Reducing the size of some of our products, whilst raising prices, is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is necessary for shoppers to still be able to enjoy their favourite Easter eggs without compromising on quality or taste.” 

A spokesperson for Nestlé, which makes Smarties, said: 

“Like every manufacturer, we have been experiencing significant cost increases making it much more expensive to manufacture our products. We have been working to be more efficient and absorb increasing costs where possible. However, in order to maintain the same high quality and delicious taste that consumers know and love, it has sometimes been necessary to make adjustments to the weight of some of our products. Retail pricing is always at the sole discretion of individual retailers.”

About Which?'s food and drink tracker

Which?’s tracker looks at 20 popular categories of food and drink at eight supermarkets — Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. 

It compares average prices across the same three-month and one-month periods year-on-year, including discounts but not multibuys or loyalty card offers.  

Figures are weighted based on supermarket market share and the sales volume of each product category.

Find out more: Which? food price inflation tracker

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.